Vermilion
by grliegirl
Summary: Eddie and Venom acclimate to life after saving the world from Riot and Carlton Drake's nefarious plans, but meet a formidable foe in Carnage, who is very much (and not so much) like them. Will they be able to protect countless innocents from Carnage's murderous spree? Or will they need some assistance from a certain friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in order to stop the symbiote?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hi guys!

Welcome to my story!

Okay so first, a couple of disclaimers!

I am just a fan who wanted some more Venom in her life so BAM! this fic here was born :D

This is my first time writing for MCU and I gotta say it is QUITE intimidating. Please be gentle! I haven't read any comics (YET!) and am just going based on what I know from shows, movies, and some light research. So I'll just be winging it and going with the flow. I'm writing this because I came out totally obsessed with all things Venom and Symbrock after watching the movie and I dunno, this just sounds like so much fun!

And hey, if you guys are having fun with me, then that's just MARVELOUS!

Rating MAY change to MATURE for graphic depictions of violence and POSSIBLE smut, but I haven't decided on anything concrete as of yet so... we shall see! ;)

Now, onwards with the story!

We begin our tale right where it left off after the end credit scene in Venom (2018)...

* * *

 **Chapter One**

" _There's going to be carnage."_

Cletus Kasady's disquieting threat looms over Eddie's thoughts like a dark cloud, ominous and foreboding.

 _Worried, Eddie?_ Venom's voice intrudes upon his musings.

"Maybe," Eddie admits softly before adding more loudly, "I don't know." He shrugs his shoulders as he continues his cautious steps, hoping the action will somehow shake off all feelings of uneasiness and trepidation.

"What?" the guard escorting him out of the maximum-security prison asks.

"What what?" inquires a bewildered Eddie.

"You said you don't know," clarifies the gargantuan guard. "What don't you know?"

"Uh, nothing," Eddie clears his throat and scratches his ear, giving a dismissive shake of his head. Instead of leaving it at that, Eddie is unable to stop himself, adding, "I wasn't talking to you."

The guard stops walking, and shoots Eddie a confused glare. "Who were you talking to?" The tall, brawny man takes a quick look around, and Eddie does the same, visually confirming there is no one but the two of them in the long, narrow hallway.

Eddie feels Venom grin widely.

 _Tell him_ , Venom persuades, his tone mischievous. _Better yet, let us show him._

"N-no—" Eddie begins to reply to Venom but he pauses, swiftly turning to address the scowling guard instead, "—body. I'm not talkin' to nobody. Just me. Myself." He flashes the guard a wry smile as he senses a deep chuckle reverberate within.

"Hmph," he scoffs, turning back to resume his walk toward the exit with Eddie following suit. "Whatever."

 _God! Can you please just behave for like, two seconds?_ Eddie admonishes.

 _Only two seconds?_ the symbiote jests back. _Then yes._

Eddie rolls his eyes. Once again he's acutely aware of slight internal vibrations, and the rumble of Venom's laughter is oddly comforting. The perturbation that settled after he finished interviewing deranged serial killer Kasady fades, and the corners of his mouth turn upwards.

 _Feel better, Eddie?_

 _Yes_ , he confirms just as they finally reach the exit.

 _Good_ , Venom warbles. _Because we have to go now._

His face falls, and the content smile he was wearing melts into a concerned frown. "What?"

 _Good-bye, Eddie._

"Have a good day, sir," the guard bids as Eddie exits the prison, and not only does he feel Venom willingly detach himself from his body with a violent _rip_ , but he whirls around in time to see his black, amorphous form slither back inside the supermax penitentiary.

The guard is distracted, and fortunately did not witness the sudden severance. The act of separating physically pains Eddie and he gasps, choking back a guttural scream. He can still see Venom moving fluidly further and further away from him. He disappears as he rounds the corner, and the sight intensifies his agony. Eddie clutches his chest. His first instinct is to chase after him, despite his discomfort.

"Wait!" he somehow manages to yell, breaking into a run.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the guard shouts, grabbing hold of Eddie's arm before he was beyond his grasp. "Where do you think you're going, buddy?" He moves to place his massive frame in front of Eddie.

"I need to go back," Eddie sputters out, his mind and heart rate racing wildly. _What the hell was that? Why did he leave? Where did he go?_ "I-I-I… left something important b—" _Is he coming back?!_

"Oh no, Brock, I ain't falling for that," the guard's voice is firm, his body language unyielding.

"Excuse me?"

"Your reputation precedes you, Brock," the guard does not budge an inch as Eddie tries with all his might to push past him. "You're a troublemaker. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You just want more time with loony Carrot Top."

"What? No, no! I really _did_ leave something important back there and I need to go get it!"

"Is that so?"

"Yes!" Eddie booms, exasperated.

"What did you leave?" the guard asks, his brown unbelieving eyes narrowing into slits.

"My, uh… my—" _Think fast, Eddie. Think fast!_ "My notes!"

"What about that notepad that's sticking out of your back pocket?" the muscular man points out.

 _Goddamnit._

He releases a resigned breath. "Listen, I just need five minutes," Eddie pleads. "Please?"

The prison guard takes a few seconds to ponder his request. Eddie sees the exact moment in which he reaches a decision, and a surge of hope balloons inside him.

"No," the guard states firmly, and Eddie doesn't have time to process his answer before he's brusquely shoved back. "Have a nice day, Brock," the guard waves him off before closing the door shut.

Eddie loses his balance, falling back on his ass against the hard concrete pavement.

"Oof!" he groaned as his pain wells up. "Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark."

The pain is tolerable, though, and Eddie is able to sit up, then slowly, gingerly, rises to his feet. As he hobbles down the street, making his way toward his Scrambler Café Racer motorcycle, he begins to feel a hollow, dull ache intensify with each step.

At first he refuses to acknowledge it, denying its existence, but as he winces and groans trying to mount his bike, he knows he can't any longer.

He feels… empty.

So utterly and profoundly _bare_.

Vulnerable.

But most of all, Eddie feels lonely.

He is alone.

And he is miserable, feeling like he is trapped inside an abysmal void.

Eddie is no stranger to depression, having hit rock bottom before, but this… this feels so much worse.

It is both a freezing cold and an unbearable heat.

It feels desolate and bleak, the light of hope eluding him.

It feels _unnatural_.

There is a longing, a yearning within him. There is a gaping hole that needs to be filled desperately.

Quickly.

He knows why he feels this way, and he knows what will make it go away—this intense and terrible ache—but he hesitates to fully acknowledge it, especially to himself.

He revs up his bike, the engine sputtering loudly to life, but he can't bring himself to leave. He stays rooted in place, his bike reverberating beneath him. The vibrations make him reminisce, thinking back fondly on the annoying parasite that took up residence inside his body.

The extraterrestrial being could have chosen any one of the seven billion people that inhabit the Earth to be his host, but had for some inexplicable reason chosen _him_.

" _You are mine_."

Eddie remembers with vivid detail when Venom uttered those words to him, and he warms at the memory. His lips stretch into a lopsided grin, recalling Venom's answer when he asked what made him change his mind about humans. What made him want to betray his race and save the world instead.

" _You did_."

The words shake him to his core even now, perhaps more so than they did back then.

But if what he told Eddie was really true, then why did he up and leave him so abruptly like that? No warning. No explanation. Just _"Goodbye, Eddie?"_

"What the actual fuck?" Eddie curses aloud and groans, not wishing to dwell on why it elicited such a strong reaction from him. Why this… _hurts_ him so much, physically and not-so-physically. Instead he revs his engine anew, vowing not to look back and muttering, "Good riddance," underneath his breath. He's better off without Venom anyway.

He feels his body shudder a bit more robustly then, but Eddie doesn't think much on it, blaming the stronger vibrations on the trembling bike beneath him.

He places his hand on the throttle when suddenly he startles.

"Hi, Eddie."

"Holy sh—" _Could it be?_

"You should wear a helmet, Eddie," the symbiote advises as he finishes seeping his entire form inside his host, their union seamless and natural. All at once Eddie no longer feels any acute pain, only immense relief… and contentment. "Motorcycles are dangerous."

"Why wear a helmet when I've got you?" Eddie quips with a smug smile. Before Venom could respond to that, he continues, asking, "What the hell was that all about?"

 _Did you miss us?_ Venom asks, avoiding his question.

"Not one bit," Eddie replies, suppressing a chuckle as he rode his motorcycle away from the prison.

 _We did not miss you either_ , Venom hisses back, but his tone sounds more irritated than spiteful.

"Seriously, what was that back there?" Eddie redirects. "What did you do?"

Venom falters, remaining mum for a long time. Eddie is about to prod him further when he finally answers, and his piercing blue eyes go wide.

"You did _what_?!"

* * *

Author's Note: Follows and faves are amazing, and while reviews are never expected, they are **GREATLY APPRECIATED** so please show some love if you're liking what you read so far and want MORE ;)

Don't forget to hit the subscribe button, too, so you don't miss out on updates!

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Muah!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Is that not how it's said?" Venom asks, and Eddie notes the genuine perplexity in his tone. "When one discards waste?"

"No, you said it right," Eddie clarifies with a laugh. "I just… I didn't know you could… you had to..."

"Take shits?" Venom finishes.

Eddie guffaws as he leans to the right, his bike taking a sharp turn onto a busy street. Venom retreats his form back into the safety of his host's body, away from any curious or prying stares. Every occasion he gets, Eddie always makes sure to reiterate to Venom the importance of keeping a low profile since it was thought that the symbiote had perished. Even Anne believes Venom died in the battle against Riot and Carlton Drake. Mrs. Chen, the owner of the bodega Eddie—and Venom—frequent often, is the only other person who knew the truth besides them.

"Just give me a warning next time you need to do… that," Eddie advises over the roar of his engine.

 _I did_ , Venom rebuts. _I said goodbye._

"Yeah," Eddie acknowledges, "but the way you said it and the abrupt way you left made it seem like you were leaving… for good."

 _That was not our intention_ , Venom mollifies, his voice a comforting, soft pur thrumming throughout Eddie's nerve endings. _It does not happen often, but when it does, the urge to void is overwhelming._

"Trust me, I understand, but you gotta be careful. I just hope no security camera caught you."

 _I don't believe so_ , the symbiote expresses sincerely.

"Let's hope not," Eddie sighs. "I would hate for anything to happen to you."

 _To_ _ **us**_ , Venom emphasizes as he begins to poke around Eddie's thoughts. _You were worried we'd left you_ , he concludes.

Eddie refuses to acknowledge what he said, neither confirming or denying his statement as he finally pulls up to their apartment building. He parks his bike, then dismounts with ease, vocally and mentally silent as he walks up the stairs.

 _You don't have to worry, Eddie_ , Venom continues as they enter Eddie's apartment. He goes to retrieve his laptop, setting it down on the kitchen table. _We won't leave you. We are a good match._

"A good match, huh?" Eddie repeats jokingly, breaking his silence.

 _Yes. It is not easy finding a suitable host for symbiosis. It is strenuous work, but once bound to a compatible being, it is very hard to unbind._

"Hard to unbind, you say?"

"Yes. Bonded forever," Venom hisses as he emerges to rest on Eddie's shoulder. "No one will break that bond."

"Oh, well, good to know," Eddie states with an air of indifference, though deep down he is anything but nonchalant. He is both relieved and reassured to hear that, having grown fond of his parasitic companion, of how he makes him feel.

Venom makes him feel powerful; he makes him feel _good_. Most importantly, though, is what he _doesn't_ feel.

Eddie doesn't feel desolate.

He doesn't feel empty.

He doesn't feel so… alone _._

That's what matters most, the fact that he isn't lonely anymore.

"Besides," Venom continues, "it's too much trouble to find another suitable host. We do not wish to do all that work."

"Well, ain't you a lazy bum," Eddie quips.

"Just like you," Venom hisses back.

"Excuse me, I am not lazy." He glances around his messy apartment. "I'm just… busy."

Taking a seat at the modest dining table that threatens to break at any given moment, Eddie powers up his computer. He takes out his notepad to look over his notes, and suddenly he experiences an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

This assignment—which is a miracle in itself that he was able to land—reminds him of the good old days back in New York when he wrote for the Daily Globe. That is _before_ he'd royally screwed up by writing the wrong thing about the wrong guy, essentially running him out of the Big Apple, his home, though Eddie would never admit to doing any wrong. Inhaling deeply, he reminisces about how he used to write about murder and unsolved crimes for the Globe. Dark and macabre subjects still fascinate him now as much as it had then, drawing him in like a moth to a flame.

It'd been the reason he literally jumped at the chance to do this piece on notorious serial killer Cletus Kasady, the Bayview Skinner, as he was aptly dubbed by the press. He knows this article is a huge stepping stone to his reintroduction back into the news world. Back into the world he loves… and belongs. There is no room for error. He needs to knock this out of the park or… or he'll need to resign to the fact that his career as an investigative journalist has reached its end.

Eddie sighs longingly, flipping through pages of scribbles only he could decipher, unable to even fathom such a depressing thought. It isn't hard to distract himself from such a dismal prospect, though, his eyebrows knitting as he reads over his interview notes.

"This quack's a total sociopath," he mutters. "A fucking sadist."

"Life is meaningless, you see. There is no purpose," Eddie recalls Cletus's bleak words. "Laws try to bring order to a disordered world, but they are only words. There is no order, Eddie. There's only chaos."

"Chaos?"

"Oh yeah. And when one truly accepts the chaos, it is a beautiful thing. To be able to help spread it with random acts of violence, with bloodshed… the red, it's not only breathtaking—" Cletus took a deep, shuddering breath as his unsettling blue eyes fluttered shut in rapt ecstasy, "—it is liberating, Eddie. It is the ultimate freedom."

It had perturbed Eddie every time Kasady said his name. Even now he scoffs at the recollection as an involuntary tremor wracks his brawny frame.

"Are you scared, Eddie?" Venom's resonant voice intrudes upon his thoughts.

"No," Eddie lies.

"This man scares you," Venom pontificates, ignoring Eddie's reply.

"He… disturbs me," Eddie tries to explain. "He's a really bad man."

"A bad man, eh?" Venom moves so that Eddie can see his smiling face. "You should have let us eat him, then."

"That would've been a terrible idea, V," he counters, shaking his head. "Remember our discussion about laying low?" Venom's sharp-toothed grin disappears. "Besides, he's paying for his crimes. He won't be getting out of San Quentin alive. And this article—" he points to the blank Word document on his laptop screen, and Venom's gaze follows, "—it's my way out of this slump I'm in. My way back to being me again. My way back to—"

"Anne?" Venom interrupts.

Eddie exhales dejectedly, scratching his head. He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't still care deeply for Anne, but he has come to realize that she deserves better than him. He admits that he still loves her, but she had moved on. She had Dan now, who was actually a pretty decent guy. He couldn't—and wouldn't—interfere with that. It's like the saying goes: if you love something, let it go. Eddie does not doubt that he still loves Anne, which means he knows what he has to do.

He has to let her go.

"We'll get her back, Eddie," Venom reassures soothingly.

Eddie squints. That marks the second time Venom had voiced his plan to get Anne back. He realizes he needs to squash this ridiculous notion quickly before Venom makes them do something stupid. Something reckless. Something they can't take back.

"Look, I know we don't have a lot," Eddie gesticulates to emphasize their humble surroundings, "but we've got each other. We don't need Anne."

Venom tilts his head slightly, his jagged white eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly as he takes in Eddie's words.

"Now go on, get," Eddie dismisses abruptly, shooing off his symbiotic partner like a dog with a wave of his hand. "I need some quiet time to write."

Venom lingers for a moment before he emits a low growl of indignation, then disappears back inside Eddie without another word.

"Alright then," Eddie mumbles to himself, cracking his knuckles over his keyboard. "Let's get to it."

 _ **Interview with a Monster:**_

 _ **The Story of Cletus Kasady, San Francisco's Most Sadistic Serial Killer**_

 _Sitting beside a makeshift welcome sign reading "Welcome Eddie," scribed with his own blood, Cletus Kasady unfurled the story of his life: a dark, abusive childhood with an alcoholic father and neglectful mother, the brutal murders that put him on death row, and now after spending half his life in a maximum security prison, he might have finally achieved a sense of self-awareness for the monster he is._

 _It's not the number of murders that sets Cletus Kasady apart as a serial killer, but the sheer barbarity of them, the varying demographic and social characteristics of his victims, and the random manner he chose them._

 _On July 22, 1968, the contorted body of 65 year old Mary Millen was found crumpled at the foot of the stairs inside her Victorian style home. One other person was present during this unfortunate "incident," the victim's grandson, a six year old boy. At that point, no one could have guessed that a serial killer had been born that night._

" _My grandmother was my first kill," Kasaday said cooly as if he was commenting on the weather._

 _When asked the reason why he decided to murder his own blood, he replied:_

" _The opportunity presented itself and I took it."_

 _Cletus Kasady was merely a child when he first committed homicide, pushing his elderly grandmother down a flight of stairs._

" _That was hilarious." Kasady gave a low, throaty, and disquieting chuckle. "I remember screaming, 'Let's see you fly, grandma! Flap them big fat arms!' And boy, did she fly."_

 _But what motivated Kasady to commit this and his other equally horrific crimes?_

" _They die because we say they must."_

 _When prompted to explain what he meant by "we," he took it upon himself to expound on his philosophy._

" _I'm a medium of mayhem. Of anarchy. It's all random, you see. It's all about living in the present moment. People try very desperately to control things instead of allowing them to simply be. Embrace whatever may come."_

 _For Kasady that meant_

 _HUNGRY!_

Eddie startles at the intrusive scream inside his head. "Ah, Jesus Christ, V!"

 _FOOD!_

"Really? Right now?"

 _YES!_

"But I'm on a roll here."

 _No, you are not. You're stuck. You have been staring at that screen for a full hour now._

"The writing process… takes time."

 _WE ARE HUNGRY!_

"Alright, alright, fine," Eddie concedes, getting up from his chair to walk over to the fridge. He opens the freezer, retrieving a bag of frozen tater tots.

 _No!_ Venom screams.

"You don't want tater tots?" Eddie asks in disbelief. Shrugging his shoulders, he tosses the bag back in the freezer before going to open up a drawer. He grabs a bar of Hershey's chocolate, ripping it open with his teeth.

 _No!_ Venom protests. _No chocolate!_

"What? You don't want chocolate?" Eddie is aghast, blinking furiously.

 _No._

"Well what do you wanna eat, then?"

 _Brains._

"What?"

 _Brains, Eddie. We want brains!_

Eddie gives a groan of disgust. "Come on, dude. No. Let's just eat the chocolate bar." He yelps as his body suddenly slams against the nearest wall, and he is face to face with Venom's menacing countenance. He fights for control of his body, but Venom's hold is mighty and unwavering. "I thought we talked about this, V!"

"Yes, we did, but right now we have a craving," the alien snarls, sticking his long tongue out. "Haven't you ever had a craving, Eddie?"

Eddie softens, his tense limbs loosening as empathy courses through his veins. It's been a few weeks now since he has let Venom feast on live flesh. Truth be told, this sudden outburst should come as no surprise. In fact, Eddie is shocked it didn't happen sooner, what with the numerous times he's denied his man-eating companion his favorite food.

"Okay, fine," he yields, nodding. "I could use a break from writing right now anyway. Brains for dinner it is."

"Yessss," Venom sibilates contently, sinking his blobby black form back inside his placating host. _Thank you, Eddie_.

"You're welcome, I guess," Eddie shakes his shoulders, making sure Venom did indeed relinquish control. Once he confirms it, Eddie grabs his keys and exits the apartment. "I think I know the perfect neighborhood where we can find someone to eat."

 _Where?_

"Tenderloin," Eddie answers, smiling knowingly.

 _That sounds delicious!_

* * *

Toby checks his watch, impatiently. He is disappointed to find he still has another hour left of his shift. He glances at the numerous monitors in front of him, making certain nothing is out of place in this wing of San Quentin State Prison. Once assured, he turns his attention back to his phone.

"Hey Toby! Come here… look at this!"

The security guard rolls his eyes and pauses the Netflix show he'd been watching on his phone. He sees that it was the gray-haired janitor that called for his attention.

"What is it, Stan?" asks Toby, not willing to move from his comfortable seat.

"I-I don't know!"

"What do you mean you don't know?" Toby huffs and begrudgingly gets up from his seat to walk down the long hallway to where Stan was.

"What is that?" asks the skittish janitor once Toby finally reached him. Toby looks down to where Stan's gaze was fixed.

"What in the hell…" Toby takes a closer look at what he thinks is a mold stain splattered across the quartz flooring. Upon closer examination, he sees this isn't mold as it is a striking, vibrant red color. Toby has never seen anything like this before in his life, and is baffled as to what it could be.

"It kinda looks like… blood, don't it?" the janitor tells Toby.

"Yeah, it kinda does," replies Toby, a look of bewilderment spreading across his face. "But it also kinda doesn't."

"Should I get some ammonia?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go get some," Toby nods, his eyes remaining glued to the peculiar sight.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Stan says before scuttling away.

Toby follows the splatter pattern to a corner and notices a bright red… clump. Curious, he bends down and reaches out to touch it. His fingers inch slowly towards it, almost coming into contact with the red blob, but then Toby sees it _move_.

He gasps, pulling back his hand, rising quickly to stand.

"What the hell?" He curses when he sees the amorphous glob is no longer there. "W-where did it go?" Toby whirls around, his eyes scanning the area furiously. "Where is it— _ahh!"_

He feels a searing pain, almost as if all his insides suddenly caught fire. He thrashes. He screams in agony. He yells in despair. He falls to his knees, covering his head with his hands as he feels his brain is about to burst forth from its bony prison.

" _Ahh!_ " he wails shrilly.

"Toby, what's wrong?!" he hears before he sees nothing but blinding red, a shade of crimson so frightening it knocks the wind out of him. Toby wants to scream louder, but he can't because he's enveloped by darkness as he loses consciousness, slipping down deep into a black abysmal void.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Eddie will always consider New York his home, but he's grown fond of the City by the Bay and its many neighborhoods. The Tenderloin, though, is _not_ one of those places. It's located downtown, bordered by some of the wealthiest districts in San Francisco. While it's surrounded by affluence, that isn't the reason the Tenderloin had the reputation it had. The area is unfortunately plagued by poverty, crime, drug use, and homelessness.

Eddie recalls doing a story about spending a night in the Tenderloin where he exposed the horrid reality of the challenges that people residing there face. While his exposé did help spread some awareness, it did next to nothing to stop, or even lessen, the drug dealing epidemic. That pisses Eddie off to no end, but just this past week the news reported that the San Francisco police department carried out a targeted drug operation that ended in eighty-four arrests.

Eighty-four!

Eddie thinks back on how naively optimistic he was the day he found out about the bust.

"Maybe now those streets will finally get clean," he remembers muttering to himself. As he parks his bike near the corner of Turk and Taylor, glancing around the seedy surroundings, he shakes his head, knowing full well that that was wishful thinking.

"Can you believe it?" Eddie muses aloud.

 _What?_ Venom asks.

"They made 84 arrests of which 63 lowlives were booked into county jail," Eddie tells his symbiote as hops off his bike. No one so much as bats an eyelash or shoots Eddie a strange look for talking out loud as he crosses the street. That seems to be pretty much the norm around here.

"Sixty-three people behind bars where they belong…" Eddie continues before pausing.

 _And?_ Venom goads.

"And it was only for two seconds. Most of them are now out of custody, back out on these streets, fucking up the neighborhood again."

 _This neighborhood already looks fucked up_ , Venom opines.

"Yeah," Eddie agrees. "And it's because of these criminals."

 _So they were in jail but now released?_

"Uh-huh," Eddie nods incredulously.

 _Why?_

"Because the system sucks, V," Eddie admits with a shrug. "The cops are doing their jobs, but it's sort of a catch and release type program. It's pretty wild, really. Like a revolving door."

 _A revolving door_ , the symbiote repeated soberly.

Eddie stops to rub his chin thoughtfully. "Do you know why I think that is?"

 _Why?_

"I think it's mainly because there's no incentive for these bastards to quit doing what they're doing." He zeroes in on a man with a hooded sweater a few yards away, handing a small baggie with four white tablets to a short man—no, a _teenager_. A freaking _kid_.

 _No incentive, you say._

"Well, no. At least… not until now."

Eddie feels glee practically bubble up inside him when Venom understood what he meant.

 _That one, Eddie?_ Venom asks expectantly. _Can I eat that one?_

There's a beat of silence before Eddie finally replies, "Yes."

No sooner does the word leave his mouth and Eddie is taken over by Venom, his body engulfed by black goo as he transforms. His form is massive, terrifying, and God, he feels so powerful! He loves it, basking and relishing in its glory. He feels… no, he _is_ unstoppable.

 _They_ are unstoppable.

They take a mighty leap forward, but land as light as a feather right behind the unsuspecting drug dealer.

"Why would you do that?" Venom asks him from behind.

"Do what?" the scrawny hooded man asks in a faintly irritated tone. He turns around, jaw dropping as his eyes bulge with fear when he sees Venom. "What the fuck?" He startles, moving back and tripping over a crack in the sidewalk, making him fall on his ass. He yelps when he makes contact with the solid concrete. Despite the pain he continues to slink back, trying desperately to place distance between him and— "W-what the fuck are you?"

"We are Venom," they smirk proudly, baring their long, sharp teeth. The frightened drug dealer whimpers pitifully when Venom leans down to jab him in the center of his chest with a lengthy black finger. "But we asked _you_ a question first." A viscous rope of slimy saliva leaks out of Venom's mouth and settles thickly on the delinquent's jacket. "Why would you do that?"

The trembling man fixates on Venom's foreboding mouth, shaking his head slightly as he stutters, unable to form even a single word.

"Why would you continue to do the very thing that made you go to jail in the first place?" Venom elaborates, tilting their head. "Why are you still selling drugs? And what's worse, to a _kid_?"

Suddenly Venom's monstrous hand wraps around the man's throat, picking him up off the ground in one quick second as they come up to stand. Venom raises him up with ease and his feet are now dangling. They scoff as the lowlife struggles futilely to escape their grasp.

"Please," the man chokes out. "Please! Let. Me. Go!"

"No," Venom answers. "We will not let you go like the police did."

"Please," the man pleads once more. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything?"

"Yes, yes!"

Venom hums and there's a tense moment of silence before they speak again, seemingly having reached a decision. "Okay."

The man gasps, obviously surprised. "Really?"

"Yes," Venom reassures as they reluctantly let go of their catch. "But you must do something for me."

"What?" the drug dealer asks fearfully after catching his breath.

"Bring as many of your… _friends_ as you can back to this corner," they instruct.

"Friends?" the trembling dealer asks with confusion.

"Mmm-hmm," Venom nods slowly, flashing another cringe-worthy smile. "The ones that were in prison with you."

The man blinks and stands stock-still.

Venom snarls, causing the man to jump. "You have fifteen minutes, turd," they threaten, bringing their face within an inch of his, "or we _will_ come for you. Now go!"

The bumbling criminal does not waste a moment, turning on his heel to run the opposite direction, rounding the corner before disappearing into the night.

"This better work, Eddie," Venom warns. "We are starving!"

" _Trust me, buddy_ ," Eddie soothes. " _It'll work_. _And soon you'll be so full you won't even know what to do with yourself._ "

"What do we do now?" Venom asks petulantly, starting to pace.

" _Go to that building over there and hide_ ," Eddie orders and Venom makes haste. " _We can't afford to be seen._ "

As Venom hurries to take cover they bump into the teenager they saw earlier. Without a second thought, Venom snatches the baggie away from the boy's hand.

"Hey!" the enraged boy starts to protest before falling silent, shocked at the sight of Venom.

"Can we eat him, Eddie?" Venom says with a wide-tooth grin, taking a step toward their prey. "He bought drugs. He is bad."

" _No!_ " Eddie yells, making Venom halt his movements. " _We do not, I repeat, we do_ not _eat children! No matter how bad they are_."

"Fine," Venom huffs indignantly then turns to address the bewildered teen. "Don't do drugs, kid, and stay in school." They stomp past him, calling over their shoulder, "If you disobey, we will know. And we will come to eat your brains." They don't bother to see the teen's reaction, continuing on their path until they are at last safely hidden. The spot they've chosen near an abandoned building offers a good vantage point and they wait—not so patiently on Venom's part—for the bad guys to come to them.

"How much longer?" Venom blurts unexpectedly after a while.

" _One minute left, V_ ," Eddie informs his testy symbiote.

"Where are they?!"

" _Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be here any second now,_ " Eddie placates nervously.

He hopes he's right or else he's not sure if he can stave off Venom's raging hunger any longer and then well, he worries that anything and anyone will be fair game, and there won't be much he can do to stop his partner.

"Partner?" Venom repeats aloud.

" _What?_ "

"You called me your… partner," Venom clarifies. "In your mind."

" _You heard my thoughts?_ " Eddie states wildly, perplexed.

"Is that what we are, Eddie?" Venom's deflects. "Partners?"

" _W—_ " Eddie begins to reply when the blaring chime of his cell phone rings loudly, startling and distracting them both. Venom shifts quickly, moving back inside Eddie so that he is able to retrieve his phone from his pants and silence it.

"Who the hell is calling me right now?" Eddie complains raspingly. He looks at the caller ID before hitting the decline button. "Unknown?" Shrugging, he shoves his phone back in his pocket when it rings again. "Jesus Christ!" Reacting instinctively, he presses the green accept button and brings the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Edward Brock, the investigative reporter?" an unfamiliar female voice asks.

"Um, yes," Eddie confirms. His tone is hesitant, wary. "Who is this?"

 _Eddie! Can I eat that guy over there? He looks like he's up to no good…_

Eddie looks up and shakes his head, mouthing, "He's just homeless, not a bad guy."

He hears Venom groan as the mysterious caller introduces herself.

"I'm Special Agent Raahki Mathew. I'm with the FBI. I work in the Criminal Investigative Division."

Eddie gasps and chokes on his own spit, triggering a coughing fit.

 _EDDIE! Are you okay?_

"Mr. Brock?"

"I'm fine," he wheezes, answering both the FBI agent and his worried symbiote. He feels Venom's relief flood him as he inhales deeply, clearing his throat before speaking once more. "Sorry, I just… breathed wrong?"

 _Idiot_ , Venom chides.

"Parasite," Eddie mumbles under his breath.

 _Parasite?!_

"Excuse me?" asks the agent.

"Nothing, I was just clearing my throat," Eddie explains, coughing once more for good measure. "So, uh, you said your name was Rocky and that uh, you work for the FBI?"

"Yes, but it's Agent Mathew to you," she corrected.

Eddie rolls his eyes at that, more annoyed now than anxious of this FBI agent, who seems to have a stick up her ass. "Why are you calling me, Agent Mathew?"

"Well, I was getting to that before I was interrupted by your breathing," the agent speaks in a chafing tone, "I've been assigned to the Kasady case. I wanted to know if you could meet up with me so we could look over your notes."

"My notes?"

 _EDDIE! He's back! He came back!_

"Yes, your interview notes," Agent Mathew explains. "Did you not interview Cletus Kasady earlier today?"

 _And he brought his friends, Eddie! So many friends..._

"Oh yeah, I did interview him but I'm still worki—"

"Right, so we'll need to go over what he told you to see if it can help us identify more bodies," she interrupted. "That way we can close as many open cases as we can before his death sentence is carried out."

 _EDDIE! Let's go! They're waiting for us!_

"Look, ma'am, I still have to work on it some more," Eddie says, glancing up to see that the drug dealer did indeed come back with company in tow. "The report is nowhere near done yet."

"I'm not interested in your piece, Mr. Brock," Agent Mathew shot back. "I wish to know everything Cletus stated in your interview. Every single thing."

"Yeah, but—"

 _EDDIE! HUNGRY! BRAINS! WE WANT BRAINS RIGHT NOW!_

"And I need your notes as soon as possible. I'm actually free later tonight. Can you meet with me then?" Agent Mathew persists.

At this point, Eddie is beyond irritated with both this pushy federal agent and Venom's constant nagging that he blurts out, "Alright!"

"Thank you, Mr. Brock," Agent Mathew replies at the exact same moment Venom takes over Eddie's body, causing his cell phone to fall to the ground. He is able to hear one last thing from the FBI agent before the call ends: "Meet me at Miller's on Polk Street at 8:30."

Venom practically breaks into a sprint to meet up with the gang of criminals that were unknowingly about to be devoured.

" _Hey, my phone!_ " Eddie yells at Venom.

"We'll get it back," Venom promises, eyeing his meal with greedy eyes, "but right now it is time to eat."

Eddie groans, wincing internally. He never did take to the idea of consuming human flesh. It still doesn't sit right with him to this day and the prospect of having to do that soon creates a knot in his stomach. He pushes aside his feelings of disgust, though, burying them deep down alongside his nausea. Tonight, though, Eddie is willing to engage in cannibalism for Venom. He knows it's the least he could do after the alien saved his life… and his planet.

Besides, San Francisco, and Tenderloin especially, could do without–Eddie pauses to count the number of men and women congregated before them–a dozen less criminals on the streets. As far as Eddie's concerned, they are doing the neighborhood and the city a huge service.

"Where is he, Joey?" they hear one of the men ask as they approach them unseen.

"Why are we here again?" a skinny woman bellows impatiently. "I've got customers waiting! I'm losing money here."

"I told you guys," the drug dealer they now know is named Joey shouts as he makes calming gestures with his hands, "the boss wants to meet with us here, a-ight?"

"Then where is he?" yelled someone else. "Where's Jack? Holy fucking shit! What is _THAT_?!"

The group look towards where he pointed and the air fills with scattered gasps, expletives, and screams as they lay eyes on Venom.

"Don't bother running," Venom advises as a long tendril shoots out to capture a fleeing crook by the neck, dragging his flailing body back to them. "Don't bother fighting," they suggest as their massive hand knocks out a gun from one of their victim's hands while another ooey-gooey black tendril generates from their form to swipe a knife from another. "You all have been very bad which for us is a very good thing. A really good thing." Venom smiles broadly, showing off his trademark wicked grin.

"Fuck you, you fucking monster!" the skinny woman yells, running straight up to Venom. They are caught off guard by her boldness and they fail to see the knife she's wielding before she buries it deep in their left calf. Venom growls and pulls the knife out, grabbing the woman by her shoulder and pulling her up to their face.

The woman struggles to break free as Venom sniffs the top of her head. "Mmm… mmm," they moan approvingly before opening their mouth wide. There is a sickening and resounding _crunch_ as Venom closes their sharp, jagged teeth around the woman's neck. "Delicious!" Venom boasts after swallowing, tossing her headless body over to the left.

"Oh my God! He just bit Jasleen's head off!" Joey yells, garnering Venom's attention.

They reach for him, wrapping their hand around his neck. "Yes, and we want more."

"Please, no— _ahh!_ "

Venom engulfs Joey's head with his mouth before ripping it clean off his body. They make noisy chomping and slurping sounds as they chewed with gusto. "More!" they exclaim in between bites, going after one and another and another. Venom is quick, efficient and ruthless as the captured try in vain to escape or fight. It isn't that much long after when Venom seems to be done. All that is left is a stuffed-to-the-gills Venom alongside a mound of decapitated bodies.

"That was delicious, Eddie," Venom states after two boisterous gulps. "Thank you."

" _I uh… you're welcome? I guess?_ " Eddie groans, feeling uncomfortably full. He's not entirely sure how he's able to experience that sensation. He doesn't think he'll ever get used to the taste of human flesh, especially with how similar it tasted to pork. Perhaps a bit more gamey. He grimaces at the notion, thankful he decided to no longer eat any more pork.

"Look, Eddie… a pile of bodies!" Venom laughs heartily.

" _Ha, yeah_ ," Eddie chuckles without humor. " _We should probably do something about that_."

"Do something?"

" _You know… get rid of them_ ," Eddie spells out.

"No, we don't want to waste tasty snacks."

" _Snacks?_ "

"So many livers, so many pancreases," Venom says as they pick up one of the lifeless forms from their hill of butchery.

" _We don't have time for this, V_ ," Eddie retorts, hoping he can sway Venom from eating more. How is it possible to always be so hungry? " _We have a meeting with the FBI. We need to get going!_ "

"So many snacks, so little time."

" _No, Venom_ ," Eddie starts to protest but Venom has already begun consuming his "snacks," cracking open a decapitated body like a pistachio, removing and gobbling up its innards. Venom grabs another body from the pile and hangs it upside down, spilling blood and entrails. They jut their tongue out to lick up an arm and a ropy wad of tendon clings from his mouth.

"Don't worry, Eddie. We will not take long."

" _Oh, God_ ," is all Eddie can say as Venom guts and eats, and he internally vows to not do this again for a long while.

"How long?"

" _Very long_ ," Eddie answers. " _A very_ long _time._ "

"Hmph," Venom scoffs, slicing open another body. "We'll see."

"We'll see how he feels when he wakes up," Toby hears someone say faintly. It sounds like they're close. Right next to him, in fact. He doesn't have the strength to open his eyes yet as he slowly starts regaining consciousness.

"What exactly happened to him, Stan?" a female voice asks.

"I'm not sure, nurse," Toby recognizes Stan the janitor's voice say. _Nurse?_ Toby surmises he must be in the infirmary. "I left him for no more than a few minutes to grab some ammonia to clean up some blood we found in the hallway. When I came back he was screaming and writhing in pain, then he just passes out and fell to the floor."

"Hmm, how very odd," the nurse murmured. "Well, he's out cold right now, but his vital signs are stable. I worry he may have gotten a concussion from the fall or worse, a contusion. I'll keep an eye on him. Thanks for bringing him to me, Stan."

"Of course! Thank you for taking care of him. Well, I'll leave you to it, then," Stan says. "I know he's in good hands. I'll check in on him later."

 _Toby…_

The sound of his name disorients him and he shivers slightly because he knows it wasn't the nurse or Stan who called him. It sounds much closer than that.

So much closer.

 _Toby!_

He inhales sharply, but keeps his eyes closed and his body freezes. It's definitely much closer. The voice… that bone-chilling and alien voice… it's coming from _inside_ him.

Inside his brain.

How can that be?

 _I must've hit my head really hard,_ Toby concludes _._

 _Hungry, Toby. I am hungry!_

 _What the fuck?_ Toby gasps as his eyes shoot wide open of their own volition. It's then that he realizes how much pain he is in. It's excruciating, he feels it everywhere. He feels it in his head, his chest, and his stomach. They all feel like they're being viciously gnawed on, as if piranhas were devouring him down to the bone. Toby can hardly think or focus because of the throbbing torment, yet somehow he moves to sit up on the stretcher he's on. Why is he doing this? _How_ is he doing this? He realizes that it isn't him doing these actions. He is not in control of his own body.

 _Your organs are tasty, Toby, but it is not enough. I need more._

"What is going on?" Toby struggles to ask, fighting tooth and nail to formulate another sentence. "What… are… you?"

"Toby?" The nurse comes to his side. "Toby, my name is Kat. I'm the nurse on duty here tonight in the infirmary. I don't know if you remember but you fainted. You should lay down. I think you might have a concussion."

Toby grapples, trying to utter words through the pain and whatever it is that's got a hold on him. "I… can't."

"You can't lay down?" Kat asks.

Gritting his teeth, he barely manages to answer, " _No_."

 _She smells delicious! HUNGRY! Must eat!_

 _No!_ Toby screams internally, resisting the overwhelming urge to bite the nurse.

"Well, I'm gonna need you to try—" the nurse is interrupted as the door to the infirmary slams open and two hefty guards come storming in, dragging a severely injured prisoner between them. The nurse runs towards them to attend to the bleeding inmate, leaving Toby on his own.

 _No, she got away! Go to her now!_

 _No!_ Toby yells inwardly. _I won't kill her. I won't!_

 _Then I will eat you, Toby, and you will die._

"What… are… you?" Toby asks aloud, shifting his gaze to see the nurse and guards place the redheaded man on a nearby gurney.

 _I am your destruction, Toby._

"No, please," Toby begs mercifully when a searing pain cuts through him. It's as if he's being sliced and diced from within. It's absolutely _unbearable_. He loses strength and falls, plopping down on his side, landing with a thud back onto the stretcher.

His vision blurs and his eyeballs feel like they're on fire, burning sharply before everything suddenly goes black and his sight is completely gone. It hurts so bad, he knows and accepts his fate. It won't be much longer now. He can feel his end looming, but before he completely slips away from this world and succumbs to the comforting black abyss of death, he hears the nurse and guards talking.

"What happened to him?!"

"We caught this fucker trying to escape again and well… things got way out of hand."

* * *

Author's Note: I always love hearing from you guys! Are you liking it so far? What do you think will happen next? Let me know your thoughts in the little box below... thanks for reading!


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